Railway-track structure.



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UNITED STATES TATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM E. PRINDLE, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE A LORAINSTEEL COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

`RAILWAY-TRACK STRUCTU RE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,262, dated August27, 1901. Application filed December 3, 1900. Serial No. 38,433. (Nomodel.)

.To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. PRINDLE, of Johnstown, in the county ofCambria and 4State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Railway-Track Structures, of whichthe following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification. 1o Myinvention has relation tozcertain new and useful improvements inrailway-track structures, and more particularly to that class of trackstructures which are provided with hardened pieces or plates which formthe track I5 intersections or other portions of the structure subject togreatest wear. y

My object isV to provide simple and efficient means for securing thesehardened pieces or platesV in place in such a manner as to prevent theirbecoming loose under continued service, bu twhich will permit them to bereadily removed and replaced when necessary without disturbing theother. portions of the structure or the adjacent pavement.

j 5 A further object is to provide means espe` cially calculated tofacilitate the unseating of the platewhen necessary to remove it.

I attain these objects by the novel construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts, all as hereinafter described, and pointed out inthe appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in which Figure lis a plan view of a frog or curve- 3 5 cross embodyingmy invention; Fig. 2, a plan view of` the same with the plate removed;Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l; Fig. 4, a detailView showing one of the seats for the bolts or fastenings. `Fig.`5 4o isa fragmentary section of the plate on the line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 isa longitudinal section showing a different seating of the plate.

The letterA designates the rail members y `of the structure, which areproperly fitted and are, then placed in a mold and secured by casting abody B of metal around them in a manner well `known in the art, saidbody being cored out to form a pocket C for the 5o reception of thecenter or intersection plate D. This plate is made of especially hardand tough metal or else has its surface hardened in such a manner as toenable it to withstand for a considerable period the wear `to which itis subjected. Myinvention, however, is not concerned with a plate of anyparticular material or character, but may be used with any suitableplate. The plate is made of proper length to cause it lto abut closelythe ends of the rails A, but is prefer- 6o ably of somewhat less Widththan the width of the pocket in order to receive a thin layer of spelteror other suitable retaining mateA rial which will obviate the necessityfor accurate fitting. The provision of these 'lat- 65 eral spacesalsopermits lateral adjustment of the plate in seating it toin'sure properadjustment of gage-lines. The bottom of the b'oX is cored out, asshown-in Figs. 3 and 4, to `form seats E for "the head of fastening 7omembers or bolts F. These seats consist of depressions in the ybottom ofthe box, which are partially overhung by walls e, which are slotted at eto receive the shanks of the bolts. The lateral walls of the pocketadjacent to the seatsEare also cored or grooved to seat or partiallyseat the bolts, with semi- 'circular enlargements e2 at the top, whichregister with similar places d in the platesy to form shallow circularpockets. The bot- 8o tom walls of these portions of the pockets areinclined, as shown at d in Fig. 5. The bolts F are provided withroundedcircular heads f at their lower ends and at their upper ends areprovided with laterally-extend- 8 5 ing heads f The manner of seatingand securing a plate is as follows: The fastening-bolts are engaged withtheir seats and turned, so that their heads lie in the depressed spaceor pocket c2 9o vin the cast body B. The plate is theninserted andadjusted, being properly surface-alined by placing thin shims on thebottom of the pocket. The fastening-bolts are then turned and theirheads f are forced up the inclined surfaces d of the pockets dsuiiciently to securely bind the plate. These inclined surfaces alsoprovide for slight variations in the lthickness or adjustment of theplate, and greater variations may be taken care of by roo means of thinshims laid on said inclined surface. The space underneath the plate andat the sides thereof is then filled with liquid spelter, as indicatedatv S, and the spelter is allowed to rise and fill the pockets e2 daround the heads of the bolts, and thus secure them against turning.Although not so shown, these pockets may, if desired, be made of suchdepth that the heads of the bolts will be entirely covered by thespelter. 'lo remove the plate, the spelter is chipped out of the pocketse2 d and the bolts are turned (either by a suitable wrench or bydriving) sufficiently to release their engagement with the plate. If theplate is then held by the spelter so that it cannot be pried out, thiscan be chippedout at the sides, or the pockets d may be undercut, as atd2, to receive suitable lifting devices actuated by screw or otherpower. n

In Fig. 6 I have shown two tapered wedges T on the bottom of the pocketupon which the plate is seated. The heads of these wed ges are beveledand abutted, so as to leave a wedge-shaped space t between them in linewith a vertical aperture T', cored in the plate. When it is desired tounseat the plate, the fastenings, which may be those above described, orany other suitable devices, are released. A cold-chisel or othersuitable implement is then inserted through the aperture T and betweenthe heads of the wedges and by being driven through into a recess t inthe cast body will separate the wedges, which in turn will lift theplate and loosen it from the spelter. preferably beveled upwardly, asshown, to slightly enlarge the said pocket at the top. I have also shownthe pocket in Figs. 1, 2,

4and 3 similarly beveled; but this is not essential, since, if desired,the walls may even be slightly undercut to give the spelter a betterholding-down effect.

For short plates a single fasteningfbolt at each side will besufficient. For a plate of medium length there are preferably two of thebolts near each end, as shown, and for plates of considerable length,such as are used in switch-mates, three or more bolts may be used ateach side.

It will be noted that the spelter protects the bolts from becomingrusted in their seats.

Although I have illustrated my invention as applied to a curve-cross orfrog, it will be obvious that it isequally adapted to various otherstructures, such as straight crossings, tongue-switches, mates, &:c.

I do not wish to be limited to the particular details of constructionand arrangement which I have herein shown and described for the purposeof fully illustrating my invention, since various modifications may bemade without affecting my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s-

l. In a railway-track structure of the class described, the combinationwith a central body provided with a pocket, and a Wear- The walls of thepocket C are' plate seated in said pocket, of fastening members seatedin said body and adapted to be moved into and out of fasteningengagement with the edge portions of said plate without unseating them.

2. In a railway-track structure of the class described, the combinationwith a body portion securing the rail members of the structu re,andprovided with a pocket in its surface, of a wear-plate seated in saidpocket, and fastening members seated in the said body portion andarranged to be moved to engage edge portions of the said plate, togetherwith means for normally securing such engagement but which can beremoved to permit disengagement. A

3. In a railway-track structure of the class described, the combinationwith a body portion which secures the rail members of the structure andwhich is provided with a pocket, of a wear-plate seated in the saidpocket, and fastening members rotatively seated in said body andengaging opposite edge portions of the said plate.

4. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body portionhaving a pocket therein,and a wear-plate seated in said pocket, offastening members seated in said body and engaging said plate to preventboth lateral and vertical movement thereof, and means whereby saidmembers may be moved to free said plate without unseating them.

5. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body portionhaving a pocket therein,and a wear-plate seated in said pocket, ofvertical fastening members rotatively seated in the walls of the saidpocket and having head portions arranged to engage the said plate, atopposite sides thereof.

6. In a railway-track structure, the combin ation with a body portionhaving a pocket therein, of a wear-plate removably seat-ed in saidpocket, and fastening members rotatably seated in the walls of saidpocket and having head portions rotatable into and out of lateralengagement with the said plate.

7. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body portionhaving a pocket therein, of a wear-plate removably seated in saidpocket, and fastening devices having bearings in the bottom and sidewalls of said pockets, and provided with extended heads, said plate andbody portion having registering surface-pockets to receive the saidheads.

8. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body'portionhaving a pocket therein, of a wear-plate removably seated in saidpocket, fastening devices having bearings in the bottom and side wallsof said pockets, and provided with extended heads adapted to be moved toengage said plate, said plate and body portions having register'-v ingsurface-pockets to receive the said heads, and retaining material, suchas spelter, filling said pockets around the said heads.

9. In a railway-track structure, the com bination with a body portionprovided with a IOI) IIO

pocket whose bottom wall is formed with slotted bolt-seats, of aWearplate in said pocket, and vertical bolts seated in the'lateral wallsof said pockets and having headed lower ends rotatively engaging saidseats and headed upper ends engaging said plate.

10. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body portionprovided with a pocket having in its bottom undercut recesses ordepressions adapted to receive bolt-heads,

`and open slots leading into the undercut portion ofsaid recesses ordepressions, of a wear.-

` plate seated in said pocket, and rotatable members in its bottom andlateral walls, a

plate seated in said pocket, and fastening members for said platerotatively seated in said bearings and secured against removal by thesaid plate.

12. In a railway-track structure, the oombination with a body portionhaving a pocket therein, a plate seated in said `pocket rotatablefastening members seated in open bearings in the walls of said pocketand secured against removal by the said plate, and means for normallysecuring said members against y rotation. l y ss I3. In a railway-traokstructure, the combination with a body portion having a pocket therein,a plate seated in said pocket, and fastening members rotatively seatedin said body w portion and having heads at their upper ends,

said body portion and plate having registering pockets to receive thesaid heads, the pockets of the plate having their bottom walls inclined.

14. In a railway-track structure, the oombination of a body portionhaving a pocket therein, a plate seated in said pocket, rotatable headedfastening members seated in said body portion and engaging said plate,and spelter or like retaining material which iills said pocket aroundthe plate` and also surrounds the heads of the said bolts.

l5. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body portionhaving a pocket therein, a wear-plate seated in said pocket, releasablefastening devio'es for the said plate, a wedge seated between the bottomof said plate and the bottom of the pocket, and means whereby said wedgemay be moved to thereby loosen said plate in its seat.

16. In a railway-track structure, the combination with a body portionhaving a pocket therein, a wear-plate seated therein, a plateliftingmember in said pocket upon which the plate is seated, and means formoving said member from the surface of the structure.

17. In a railway-track structure, the corn-V bination with a bodyportion having a pocket therein, and a wear-plate removably seated andsecured in said pocket, of a pair of wedges seated underneath the saidplate with abutted heads, and a vertical aperture in said plate throughwhich a suitable tool may be intro;` duced between said heads for thepurpose of separating the wedges and thus loosening the plate in itsseat. In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence oftwo Witnesses. l WILLIAM E. PRIN DLE;

Witnesses:

Cona G. COX, H. W. SMITH.

